Electric rail-bond and method of making same.



I PATENTED MAR. 13, 1905 s. P. GOWARDIN. I ELECTRIC RAIL BOND AND METHODOF MAKING SAME APPLICATION FILED MAR.6, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUELPENDLETON COWARDIN, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. ELECTRIC RAlL -BOND ANDMETHOD OF MAKING SAME.

CowARDIN, a citizen of the United States, re-' siding at Richmond, inthe county of Henrice and State of "irginia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electric Rail-Bonds and Method of MakingSame;

and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and .use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of refer encemarked thereon, which. form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to electric rail-bonds and method of making thesame; and it consists in a bond having the terminals and connectionsbetween the same formed of the same metal or of metals which will alloywith each other and joined or united together by another metal whichwill alloy with the same and be of a lower fusing-point than the metalor metals of the terminals and their connections; and the methodconsists in eoatin the ends of the connections with a meta which willalloy with and have a lower fusionpoint than the metal of theconnections and then molding to the ends of the connections the metalwhich will constitute the terminals,

- so that it will alloy with the ends of the connections through theinstrumentalityof the metal having the lower fusing-point, therebybringing the metal of the terminal and the metal of the connections intointimate union.

Tothe accomplishmentof the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear the invention consists in the'features and in theoperation hereinafter particularly described and then sought to bespecifically defined by the claims, reference being hadto theaccompanying drawings, illustrating one means for carrying theinventioninto effect,

and in which vFigure l'is a sectional View of one form of mold with theconductor-wires in position to receive the metal to formthe terminal.Fig.

2 is a plan view-of the same with the top of the mold removed, and Fig.3 is a perspective of the conductor and its terminal.

- I'n'carrving out my invention I prefer to make use of a number ofstrands or wires 1,0f

copper,- which will admit of being crumpled or bent -so as to providefor expansion and contraction, although anyother metal suit-Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 6, 1903. SerialNo- 146,542.

'sired for the terminal, and for the Patented March 13, 1906.

ployed. I coat the ends of the strands with a thin layer of metal thatwill alloy with the metal of the strands, and for that purpose prefer toemploy tin. These strands, grouped as they are to come in the bond, areso placed that their ends project into a suitable mold A, adapted toreceive the metal to constitute the terminals and give to it the shapedeurpose I prefer to employ a mold which Wlll form a hollow. orferrule-shaped terminal, although a mold to form any other style ofterminal may be used. With the ends of the strands projecting into themold the molten metal to constitutethe terminal and consisting of copperor other metal which will alloy with the coated ends of the strands ispoured into the mold, and it alloys with the coated ends of the strandsand forms an intimate union therewith without the necessity ofsubsequent forging or compression to effect an in timate union betweenthe metal of the terminals and themetal of the strands, since theemployment of a metal that will melt or fuse at a lower point than themetal of the strands and the metal of the terminals and capable ofalloying with the metal of the strands and of the terminals will effectsuch an intimate union between the strands and the terminals thatforging or compression need not be employed, although the same ean'beemployed, if desired, Without detriment to the process or to the bondproduced. The thin coating of tin on the ends of the conductor is sodiffused when "he molten copper forming the terminal comes in contactwith it that it forms a true alloy with the copper instead of a meresolder, so that it practically disappears as a coating and enters intosuch intimate mixture with the copper that the metal of the conductorand the metal of the terminal come into intimate union one with theother. The alloy thus formed between and themetal of lower fusing-pointeffects such a continuity of union between the conductor and theterminal that it is practically the same as if the bond were made out ofa single piece of metal instead of two metals, 105 one j oinedto theother.

This results in the least possible resistance, if any at all, being Ioffered to.the current passing from one terthe intermediate conductor.It is believed thatwh en the cop- 1 i o minal to another through thecopper .Too

per strands are coated with a thinvlayer of tin. there is formed at thesurface of the by with eacho'ther and with the metal coating and themetal coating strands a thin layer of copper and tin alloy, so that whenthe molten copper to form the terminals is poured into the mold incontact with the strands it alloys at once with the coating on thestrands, so that the metal of the strands and of the terminalsarebrought l into more intimate union than otherwise would be the caseand without melting the copper strands to destroy their individuality;but if the heat should be such as to destroy the individuality of thestrands at the ends where the metal of the terminals unites with themetal of the strands the presence of the other metal which fuses at alower point ter conductor or bond for the flow of the electric currentwould be produced than under would make the union so intimate that abet' While I prefer to employ copper for the terminals and their'connections and tin as the other metal to make the alloy, yet'theinvention in its scope includes other metals 1 than copper for theterminals and connec- 1 tions and other metals than tin for the coatthemetals being such that they will alother constructions.

being such that it will fuse or melt at a lower point than the othermetals employed.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits,'what I claimis- 1. An electric rail-bond comprising a conductor and a terminal eachformed of a metal which will alloy with the metal of the other, themetal of the terminal being in intimate union with the metal of theconductor and alloyed with a metal having a lower fusingpoint than thatof the conductor and termi nal, substantially as described.

2. The method of forming an electric railbond consisting in applying tothe end of the conductor a metal having a lower fusingpoint than themetal of the conductor and of the terminal and then applying moltenmetal to the end of the conductor to form the terminal, and effecting aunion between the terminal and conductor by alloying the metal of theconductor and terminal with the metal of lower fusing-point,substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

SAMUEL PE'NDLE-TON COWARDIN.

. Witnessesz WrLLrAM S. CAMP, O. RAYMOND BROWN

